Dear Senator Collins

October 15, 2009


Senator Susan Collins
11 Lisbon Street
Lewiston, ME 04240

Senator Collins:

In August 2009 the 104th Fighter Wing, Barnes Air National Guard Base, Westfield, MA filed a “Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) – Modification of the Condor 1 and Condor 2 Military Operations Areas”, Project No. ANG0956737. This filing, if accepted by the FAA, will allow for a major modification of the Condor Air space over western Maine. This impact statement is woefully inadequate and does not address the potential environmental and economic concerns such a change would affect. I have written and read many such proposals in my 30 years as an environmental manager and found this one to be the worst I have ever read. However, I do not intend on going a picking out these flaws. Others will do that in future correspondence.

My concerns are as followed and I ask for your help to obtain this information:

1. The work presented is not signed. There is no list of the authors’ qualifications. I have no idea of what was requested to be done

Could you please help find out the following?

Who did the work? How much did it cost? What did the request for the proposed work say? What are the qualifications of the individual’s doing the work?

2. Governor Baldacci sent a letter of concern and requested more information. He carefully and articulately pointed out the concerns regarding economic impact. Basically ignoring the Governor Lt. General Harry Wyatt of the ANG responded with this statement:


Could you please help find out the following?

When will the work be available for review? Will it be ready before the November 14th hearing? If not why is the hearing going forward?

3. Lastly, my greatest concern, is this a “done deal”. Consider the following taken from the EIS on page 1-13 and 1-14.

“In a letter dated 21 August 2006, the FAA consented to participate as a cooperating
Agency in the preparation of an EA for this project because this proposal involves SUA.
Upon completion of the EA in March 2009, the FAA concurred with the
EA’s findings that the Proposed Action would not have significant environmental
impacts. The ANG has independently elected to proceed with an EIS for the Proposed
Action in response to requests from several elected officials and the general public.”

The highlight sentence says it all.

Could you please help find out the following?

Has the FAA already made a decision to approve this air space change? If so, under what authority? Are we in preparing for the hearing, simply going through an academic exercise?

If this is a “done deal” then we should ask that certain restrictions be put on the air space. These would include a specific limit on the number or flights allowed in a month regardless which organization flies them. No flights during the Christmas and February vacations periods. No flights on weekends. 800 number allowing local pilots to call to see what the flight schedule for a specific day. And, flying only allowed during the daylight hours. I am sure there are other restrictions that should be considered.

In closing I would say I do appreciate the efforts by the ANG to get input, but am disturbed at the apparent “backroom deals“ that have been done. I hope your efforts to get answers will prove this concern wrong. I do want our pilots to have the absolute best training to defend this country. But I want their work to allow suck flights to be done right,

I appreciate your help in getting the answers to my question. It is my hope I would have these by November 1 so I can prepare appropriate testimony.



Thomas Saviello
District 90